US Pauses Hormuz Escorts as Iran Talks Near Framework Deal

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Tuesday that Operation Epic Fury, the U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran that began on February 28, has officially concluded with its limited objectives met. Speaking at a White House briefing, Rubio stated that the 67-day aerial bombardment had successfully degraded Iran’s missile-launching capabilities and severely damaged its defense industrial base, eliminating what he called the “shield” behind which Tehran could advance its nuclear program. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, abruptly paused the newly launched “Project Freedom” operation to escort stranded commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, citing progress in backchannel talks mediated by Pakistan.

The announcements cap a bewildering 48 hours in which the administration first trumpeted a new humanitarian mission to free 23,000 sailors from 87 countries trapped in the Persian Gulf, only to suspend it within a day as Iran responded with renewed missile activity. Rubio insisted the United States now prefers “the path of peace” and a diplomatic deal rather than further escalation. Yet the swift reversal underscores the impulsive and high-risk nature of a conflict that Trump once predicted would unfold as smoothly as his January operation in Venezuela.

The war, initiated at the urging of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and hawkish advisers in Washington, aimed far more ambitiously at the outset: regime change in Tehran and the wholesale destruction of its nuclear and conventional military infrastructure. Trump brushed aside warnings from Vice President JD Vance and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine about the dangers of another prolonged Middle East quagmire. Instead, he bet that overwhelming force would quickly break Iranian resistance. Publicly, he continued to insist the campaign was proceeding “brilliantly” even as Iranian missiles flew and the Strait of Hormuz—the critical chokepoint for one-fifth of global oil supply—was effectively closed.

The economic fallout has been immediate and punishing. Global fuel prices have surged, forcing airlines to slash two million seats from schedules this month alone. Fertilizer and commodity shipments have been disrupted, contributing to inflationary pressures already felt in households worldwide. The brief flare-up around Project Freedom only heightened fears that the fragile ceasefire could collapse entirely, sending oil prices even higher.

Now, U.S. and Iranian negotiators, working through Pakistani intermediaries and involving Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, are said to be closing in on a one-page memorandum of understanding. According to officials briefed on the talks, the document would commit Iran to a moratorium on nuclear enrichment, reopen the Strait of Hormuz to unrestricted shipping, and set a 30-day clock for broader negotiations that could ease U.S. sanctions and release billions in frozen Iranian assets. Both sides have exchanged revised proposals since an earlier round in Islamabad failed to produce results. Reuters quoted a Pakistani source saying the parties “are getting close” to closing the deal.

Yet significant obstacles remain. U.S. officials acknowledge deep divisions within Iran’s leadership, making consensus difficult. Some American skeptics question whether Tehran will accept terms that go beyond previous nuclear agreements. The memorandum’s provisions are also largely contingent on a final deal being reached, leaving open the possibility that fighting could resume if talks collapse. Burcu Ozcelik of the Royal United Services Institute described the current moment as one of “frenetic diplomatic backchannelling” aimed at extracting maximum concessions from a battered Iran while the U.S. maintains its blockade.

The sudden pivot away from escalation reveals the limits of Trump’s original gamble. What began as a self-described effort to “eviscerate” Iran has instead produced a battered but not broken adversary, a severely disrupted global energy market, and a region left bracing for the next spark. Rubio’s declaration that the operation’s goals were achieved from “day one” stands in contrast to the administration’s own earlier rhetoric about regime-threatening strikes and the very real costs tallied over two months of war.

For now, the guns have fallen silent again. Whether this represents a genuine turning toward peace or merely a pause before the next dangerous escalation remains painfully unclear. The people of the region, along with millions whose livelihoods depend on stable energy markets, can be forgiven for viewing Washington’s latest pronouncements with deep skepticism. After all, the same administration that launched this conflict with cosmic confidence has spent the past two days frantically walking it back.